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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27506722">Kindling</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeaBagginsFromtheOak/pseuds/BogginsofEternalStench'>BogginsofEternalStench (TeaBagginsFromtheOak)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Hobbit - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Getting Together, Happy Hobbit Holiday Exchange, Have A Happy Hobbit Holiday 2020, Holiday Shenanigans, M/M, Mistaken identities, Modern AU, Post-Quarantine, dating apps, holiday magic, holiday party, nervous!bilbo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-08 03:29:07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,447</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27506722</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeaBagginsFromtheOak/pseuds/BogginsofEternalStench</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Bilbo didn't normally use dating apps, but after the country wide mandate to isolate, he had been feeling exceptionally lonely. He can only clean his house so many times before he goes absolutely stir crazy. For a whole month he had flour caked under his fingernails after spending so many hours making bread. Finally, his best friend had convinced him to try a dating app to fill in the blank spaces between baking bread and filling the bucket with soapy suds to start up another round of mopping. </p><p>He hadn't expected anything  to come from it, but then he matched with the most interesting man and he had never even seen the mans face.</p><p>Now with quarantine lifted his best friend had set up a party in celebration and Bilbo has been tasked with trying to discover who is his mystery man.</p><p>It couldn't go that wrong, right?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bilbo Baggins/Dwalin/Thorin Oakenshield, Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Have A Happy Hobbit Holiday 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Kindling</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrightEyesIllusionist/gifts">Vimbouree (BrightEyesIllusionist)</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Prompt: Fluff, happy endings, holiday shenanigans, identity porn, cultural misunderstandings, cultural holiday traditions, misunderstandings, fake/pretend relationships, getting together, established relationship, AUs, fantasy AUs, Dwarves being Dwarves, magic, holiday magic, arranged marriage, proposals, Ones, soulmates. Friendship, Bilbo being accepted by the company/being one of the company.</p><p>Well I got a few I hope they're what you were looking for.<br/>It's rated M but there is no smut, I just said some stuff that might not be like T rating. Let me know what you guys think this was my first exchange. And I had a lot of fun!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Bilbo didn't normally use dating apps, but after the country wide mandate to isolate, he had been feeling exceptionally lonely. He can only clean his house so many times before he goes absolutely stir crazy. For a whole month he had flour caked under his fingernails after spending so many hours making bread. Finally, his best friend had convinced him to try a dating app to fill in the blank spaces between baking bread and filling the bucket with soapy suds to start up another round of mopping. Bilbo was convinced it would be a waste of time as most of the men he had met through dating apps had been less than appealing. They were either using it as an escape from their day to day heterosexual masking or were only interested in occasional hook ups. Bilbo would rather put his effort towards his career which was slowly tanking as he struggled to recover from so many months off. He had tried to do online orders, but he couldn’t knowingly put delivery drivers at risk while they went out to make their rounds. And it wasn’t like Bilbo was a one man machine. He could only do so much before he would get burnt out himself. He instead made sure to sign up for any stimulus packages he qualified for and hoped that his business wouldn’t go completely bankrupt by the time he could get himself back on his feet.</p><p>He pulled at his coat jacket as people had started to gather in earnest. Ori had done a fantastic job of setting up the party. Bilbo would be lying if he said he wasn’t thrilled to see his friends and potentially the man he had been conversing with for the last few weeks. Ori had pushed him to invite him.</p><p>
  <em>“There will be plenty of people there, so it won’t be awkward.” Ori said over the phone. Bilbo had been pacing back and forth looking at the little screen in his hand. He had his thumbs poised over the keyboard as he watched Ori’s face go through several emotions in the span of a few moments. “Bilbo, please, for me. Let me live through you. I haven’t been laid in nearly a year – “ Bilbo opened his mouth with a raised eyebrow. “ – we agreed he doesn’t count.” Bilbo smirked then promptly chewed on his lip. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“What do I say?” Bilbo started walking again as he contemplated his wording.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“’Come to this address, there’s going to be a party, and maybe some happy ending depending on how cute you turn out to be’. Like it’s hard, Bilbo?” Ori scoffed. The speaker picking up the disdain in Ori’s voice.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“That was rather toned down for you.” Bilbo typed the word ‘hey’ four times before he decided on ‘good afternoon’. He stared at the two letter word for way longer than he should have. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Oh, did I forget to mention that if you get lucky you have to dedicate your first orgasm to me.” Bilbo blushed and dropped his phone on his bed. “Hey, pick me back up!” Bilbo took a moment to compose himself before he sat on his bed and put his phone back in his hands.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Fine, but you have to help me out of there if he’s just butt ugly.” </em>
</p><p>Bilbo went back into the kitchen for the third time. Ori was busy entertaining some other guests. He saw Bilbo out of the corner of his eye and excused himself to go see to Bilbo. He grabbed a glass on his way and poured a glass of wine before meeting up with Bilbo. Bilbo was busy playing with the edges of his empty solo cup to notice that Ori was walking over. Bilbo was scanning the crowd nervously when Ori came up and grabbed the empty solo cup and replaced it with the glass of wine. He grabbed Bilbo by the elbow and turned him back around into the living room.</p><p>“You won’t meet your mystery man if you spend all your time with the help.” Bilbo huffed as Ori sat him down next to the fire place and propped him up as if he was a ken doll. “It’s me, I’m the help.” Bilbo swatted at his bicep with his free hand and took a sip of his wine. He gave Ori a disapproving glare but stayed otherwise silent. “Now, stay out here and get some ass. Did he tell you if he was here yet?” Ori gave a quick peek around the room, the room was full of people who he barely knew. He was somewhat regretting this decision already. Which was a lie he had been regretting it since Ori had sent him the details of the party. He had nervously checked his phone several times throughout the night, but he had only gotten a quick response from Thorin since he had asked him if he would be attending. Bilbo wanted to search everyone for something that might remind him of the man he had been texting, but he also wanted to sit in the corner and not engage with anybody.</p><p>“No, he hasn’t texted me since he agreed to come.” Ori patted him on the side of his face before he left him to pout into the fire. Bilbo took a sip of his wine as he leaned on one arm over the fireplace. He watched as the fire crinkled and cracked in front of him. He took in the sound of people conversing around him, but he couldn’t focus on a single strain of conversation. He took a deep breath of the smoky atmosphere before he turned around and scanned the crowd.</p><p>He regretted that he hadn’t ever bothered to ask for a photo, but really the thought of not knowing what Thorin looked like was more appealing even if it did scare him a fraction. Something about the thrill of the unknown gave Bilbo a rush. He tapped his fingers on his glass and took a large gulp, not even tasting the bitter tannins of the wine before he finished off the last few drops. He did feel the burn of alcohol as it went down, but it only helped fuel the fire in his veins. He thought about wandering back into the kitchen for another glass, but he knew if Ori saw him go back in he would surely set him next to his endearing – albeit overwhelming – brother. Dori would make sure that he wouldn’t meet anyone other than the various new tea samples in his tea shop. While Bilbo did enjoy a good cup of tea, leaves were the last thing on his mind. He nervously swirled his glass in his hand despite there not being any wine in the glass.</p><p>After a few moments of scanning the crowd, Bilbo lifted the glass to his lips again out of habit more than anything. He felt a tap on his shoulder, and he spun around at break neck speed to see a tall man with two glasses of wine in his hands. Bilbo took in the burly man with a full beard, but bald head. His eyes unknowingly fixated on the tattoos on his bald head. Bilbo took in the man’s appearance. He was wearing a dark turtleneck that was mostly hidden by his large beard. He wore a comfortable looking flannel over the turtleneck with rolled sleeves and Bilbo made notice that he had even more tattoos on his forearms. His hands looked massive holding the dainty wine glasses. Bilbo set his empty one on the mantle and reached out tentatively to the one being offered to him. The man’s face was emotionless, but he had a friendly look in his eye that Bilbo trusted. This had to be Thorin.</p><p>Bilbo let out a sigh of relief before he began to speak, “Oh my gosh! I am glad you are finally here. I would have passed out from smoke inhalation if I sat here staring into the fire any longer. I am <em>so</em> glad to finally meet you! I didn’t think you’d even show really. I thought for sure that I was going to get stood up and end up stuck here with Ori, sloshed and depressed. This quarantine has really taken a lot out of me and this would probably be the final straw in the camel’s back.” Bilbo took a quick sip of the wine since Thorin brought it to him. “I’m sorry I should let you speak, of course! How has your day been? Have you met Ori yet? He’s the organizer after all and I’m sure he is eager to meet you since I haven’t been able to stop talking about you.” Bilbo couldn’t find it in him to be all that embarrassed as the wine had loosened his tongue and his nerves had compounded into a torrential downpour of information. Thorin for his part was quiet the entire time he spoke and seemed to listen to him with a half-cocked grin and a twinkle in his eye.</p><p>“I’ve been busy with meetings for the most part. The boss can be a real bastard.” Thorin had a deep Scottish accent that Bilbo hadn’t realized might have even been something to consider when the only way they had communicated was through text messages.</p><p>“Important meetings?” Thorin shrugged his shoulders before shaking his head.</p><p>“Hardly ever worth the effort of getting everyone together like that when they could have just as easily sent out an email.” Bilbo took another sip of his wine and groaned at the response.</p><p>“I can imagine. You’d think with everything that’s happened they would learn to be able to distinguish that email is just a superior method of contacting people.” Bilbo saw just around Thorin that Ori had poked his head from out of the kitchen. He looked around for a moment before he noticed Bilbo, who in turn gave a thumbs up with the hand that was sitting at his waist. Ori gave a big smile, noticing the man in front of him before giving a thumbs up back and disappearing back into the kitchen. Bilbo knew eventually that Ori would come over and make his acquaintance, but he would give time for Bilbo to sus out if Thorin was as good as his messages had made him out to be. So far Bilbo was intrigued by the artwork covering the man in front of him. He leaned in and squinted his eyes at the art work on his forearms.</p><p>“I didn’t think you’d have so much ink.” Bilbo managed as he took in the geometric shapes and the second snake he could distinguish in the firelight.</p><p>“I didn’t think you’d be so small.” The comment was unexpected, but as Bilbo’s eyes shot up he could see mirth in Thorin’s eyes.</p><p>“I’m sorry we can’t all be the size of a lumber jack.” Bilbo put his hand on Thorin’s forearm to feel at one of the tattoos there. “Do you have more than these?” Bilbo was back to looking at the intricate details.</p><p>“I guess you’ll have to find out.” Bilbo did blush this time and pulled his hand back to his own person. He couldn’t believe that he was being so brazen in his drunkenness. He was only on his third glass of wine, he wasn’t usually such a light weight.</p><p>“Bilbo, I’m glad to have seen you met my driver.” Bilbo’s head snapped up to look at the man who had approached from the side. Bilbo looked at the man, smaller than the one in front of him, but not by much. He had long black hair dressed prettily over his shoulder and a clean trimmed beard on his face. Bilbo took a step back from the man in front of him and looked between the two of them for a moment. The man in front of him had a grin on his face. The man on his right took a sip of the golden liquid in his hand. The ice clinked against the glass and it was like a window breaking in Bilbo’s ears.</p><p>“Wait.” Bilbo set his glass of wine on the mantle. “So, which one of you is Thorin?” Bilbo’s eyes darted between the two of them. The man in front of him chuckled a bit while the man on his right cleared his throat with an embarrassed look on his face.</p><p>“I am Thorin, you seem to have met my driver; Dwalin.” Bilbo saw as the man on his right – Thorin – made a motion to the man in front of him – Dwalin – and Bilbo grabbed his glass once again as to know exactly what to do with his hands.</p><p>“Oh.” Bilbo looked sheepishly at the ground in front of them. Bilbo looked up at Dwalin in front of him. “I apologize for cornering you into a conversation like that.” Bilbo tapped his fingers on the bottom of his glass.</p><p>“There’s no harm done. I thought it was endearing.” Bilbo felt the tips of his ears heat up at the compliment. “Thorin asked me to bring you something to drink while he used the restroom. Spending all day in meetings doesn’t really allow for such uses.” Dwalin elbowed his friend good naturedly. Thorin gave a small grimace before looking back at Bilbo.</p><p>“I hope that wasn’t too forward of him. And I do hope he was on his best behavior, he has a problem with using the pink fleshy thing in between all those tattoos.” Dwalin scoffed as he took a sip of his wine. “Sometimes I think all that ink has poisoned his brain.” Bilbo watched the exchange between the two.</p><p>“You have tattoos yourself, you prick.” Just then Bilbo saw Ori poke his head out again with a small tray of food. Bilbo made eye contact with Ori and watched as his eyes grew at the sight of the two men in front of Bilbo now. Bilbo gave a grin and a subtle thumbs up. Apparently not subtle enough as Thorin turned to see Ori in the doorway and then Dwalin turned to see Ori as well. Ori gave a large smile before disappearing back into the kitchen. Bilbo had two sets of eyes on him again suddenly and he started to feel a heat that wasn’t coming from the fire next to him. Dwalin and Thorin gave each other a glance and Bilbo was suddenly flushed from head to toe as he understood the unspoken communication between the two of them.</p><p>He took a sip of his wine and gave both of them the same look over the glass of his wine.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I don't usually write anything other then Bagginshield so this is me branching out. I probably won't do that again though. Unless it's a request or something.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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